This invention relates generally to fishing, and more specifically, to a two-stage fishing bobber which either can be either used as a conventional visual indicator or as a more sensitive visual indicator to detect when a fish is nibbling on the bait.
When fishing with a bobber, it can sometimes be difficult to determine when a fish is nibbling on the angler""s line, especially in waters that have active waves or when one is fishing for passive or highly sensitive fish. Having difficulties in determining when a fish is nibbling on a line reduces the chance of an angler being able to hook and reel in the fish since premature jerking results in not hooking the fish or scareing nearby fish off.
The prior art includes bobbers with some type of spring setting action to set the hook. For example, in the embodiment shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,836 the float includes a resistance body such as a flat disk that abruptly increase the drag on the line as the fish pulls on the line.
In contrast, the present invention does not provide for setting of the hook but supplies visual information to the fisherperson through a first-stage slideable rod that allows the fisherperson to visually determine if a fish is nibbling the bait by visually observing the displacement of the slideable rod with respect to a bobber main body but before visual displacement of the bobber main body can be visually detected. The second-stage permits anglers to fish in a conventional manner as visual information is provided by submersion of both the slideable rod and the bobber main body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,836 discloses a fishing float with a resistance member that enables a hook to jerk and hook fishes.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,982,573 discloses a fishing bobber with a hollow core and U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,576 discloses a fishing bobber with an adjustable brake.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,985 discloses a mechanism for securing bobbers to a fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,634 discloses a bobber that can be set at variable depths.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,509,704 discloses a combined float and casting weight with an internal spring which helps to hold the bobber while casting.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,631,399 and 2,712,194 discloses fishing devices comprising a bobber with a spring to hook fish as they bite.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a two-stage fishing bobber with a main body carrying a first-stage free sliding retractable rod having a fishing line engaging member with part of the free sliding retractable rod extending sufficiently above the main body to enable a fisherperson to keep visual track of the displacement of the free sliding retractable rod with respect to the main body. When fishing for large or aggressive fishes, the second stage of the two-stage bobber is used as a conventional fishing bobber which is submerged as the fish pulls on the line. When fishing for smaller, passive or sensitive fishes, the two-stage bobber can be used as a sensitive detection device as only a slight pull on the line produces a depression of the free sliding rod with respect to the bobber main body to allow a fisherperson to visually detect when a fish is nibbling on the bait well before the main body is visually detectable as being displaceable with respect to the body of water.